MBB: Five Things to Know at CSU Bakersfield

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Men's Basketball (12-14, 4-7) team will try to avenge a loss from the first meeting against CSU Bakersfield (11-14, 5-5) as the teams meet up Saturday at the Icardo Center. Tip-off is 9 p.m. CT and broadcast live on ESPN+ and the WAC Digital Network (international only).

Kansas City tripped up in overtime, 74-64, in the first meeting back on Jan. 16 in the Swinney Center. The Roos came all the way back from 14 points down to lead much of the second half. But, the 'Runners out-scored Kansas City 18-8 in overtime as the Roos suffered their first home loss of the year.

The Starting Five
1. The Roos have shown balance in the individual scoring column this year. Currently, five players average at least 9.0 points per game: Giles, White, McKissic, Whitfield and Hardnett. Kansas City is the only team in the conference to have five players pour in at least nine a game. Eight of the current 10 players in uniform have led the team at least once in scoring in a game.
2. The Roos have been at or near the top in the WAC for most of the year in shooting accuracy. Currently, they are No. 1 in both field goal percentage (.456) and 3-point shooting (.365). Kansas City has hit for at least 50 percent in both categories in six games this year.
3. On Thursday at Grand Canyon, the Roos went into overtime for the third time this year. That marks the most occurrences going into extra time since the 2010-11 team had four overtimes. Kansas City has won one of the OT games this year.
4. Defenses need to know where senior Rob Whitfield sets up offensively on the perimeter. After a trio of three-pointers Thursday at Grand Canyon, he now has nailed at least two treys in 13 of his last 14 games. He currently ranks second in the conference in 3-point shooting (.420) and is second in makes per game (2.4). In 54 of his 58 career games (93.1%) at Kansas City, Whitfield has connected on at least one triple. Playing in just his second season, he already is No. 10 on the school career list with 147 career 3-pointers.
5. Kansas City has had to adapt to a constant rotation of players in the starting lineup. Over the course of the season, there have been at least 15 games missed due to injuries. Overall, coach Donlon has had to go with 12 different starting line-ups, including four unique combos in each of the last four games. The 12 line-ups is ranked in the top 10 for most in the country.

Last Time Out: at Grand Canyon (Feb. 13)
•   Kansas City pushed Grand Canyon to the limit in conference men's basketball action, but fell short in overtime by a 71-66 score. The Roos hung tough thanks in part to 46-percent shooting and a deep bench, out-scoring the Lopes 31-18 in that category. The senior duo of Rob Whitfield (13 points) and Javan White (10 points) were the high point off the bench.
• The Roos looked to be in the driver's seat up by a six-point cushion (59-53) with 2:29 remaining in regulation. But the Lopes scored eight of the final 10 points to force the game into overtime.
• Giles had a strong second half with 12 points. Freshman Josiah Allick posted a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Jahshire Hardnett had a Roo-best six assists, to go along with six points.

Last Time Out against CSU Bakersfield (Jan. 16)
•   Kansas City lost for the first time all year at home, falling to CSU Bakersfield, 74-64, in overtime. The 'Runners out-scored the hosts 18-8 in overtime. The Roos needed one more home victory to tie the 2010-11 program for the best home start in school history at 7-0.
•   Senior Jordan Giles finished with a team-high 19 points, while junior Brandon McKissic notched 15 points and freshman Josiah Allick netted 10 and corralled eight rebounds.
•   The Roos came all the way back from 14 points down to lead much of the second half. The effort was there all night, in spite of their leading scorer out with an injury for the second-straight game (Javan White) and a guy that was averaging nearly 19 points in conference (Jahshire Hardnett) recording three points.
•   The start of the second half was a polar opposite of the first. CSU Bakersfield missed on its first five shots at the same time the Roos scored 11-straight points. Under the 16-minute media timeout, Kansas City held its first lead of the game at 37-33.
• Kansas City shot a season-high 31 times from the free throw line connecting on 20 for a 65 percent clip. CSU Bakersfield went 22-of-33 (.667) from the charity stripe.

All-Time Series vs CSU Bakersfield
•   Kansas City is 4-9 all-time against the 'Runners.
•   The Roos are trying to buck a trend on the road as they are just 1-5 in the Icardo Center. The only road win occurred Jan. 25, 2014 (70-69) in the first ever meeting.
•   In five out of the last six overall meetings, the winning team has won by 10-or-fewer points.

MBB: Five Things to Know at CSU Bakersfield

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Players Mentioned

Josiah Allick

Jordan Giles

Jahshire Hardnett

Brandon McKissic

Javan White

Rob Whitfield